GRAVEYARD

[maladied]

THE MUSEUM

GRAVEYARD

LOBBY
THE LANDING. EXHIBIT #04
COMFORT. EXHIBIT #09
VIEWING. EXHIBIT #03
GARDEN EXHIBIT #--
???

So, you’ve met your end and regardless of your beliefs, the expectation is that is where things end. Rebirth. Damnation. Salvation. A simple black screen… None of those things happen; how (un)fortunate for you. How jarring it must be to have your last moments not be your final moments. On the bright side, all the injuries you’ve sustained are no longer present. You’re as good as new!

Now, whether you’ve met your end violently, peacefully, or something between the two, you’ll find yourself sat in front of a sprawling behemoth of a wall tastefully covered from floor to ceiling (where is the ceiling?) with various objects on display. All of them carefully and neatly framed or kept safe within a box attached to the wall. Not only that, but there are cages hanging from the “ceiling” that contain even more objects for viewing. However, other than the walls, the hanging cages, and the bench—there is no padding on the bench; only a cold, hard surface that does not give—you find yourself sitting on, the rest of this room is completely empty.

At least, after giving a survey of the area, it will be obvious that it isn’t an enclosed space. There is an opening to a hallway—hopefully. Only one way to find out. Spoilers, there are many, many, many other rooms that make up this place.

Oh, but just what is all out on display?

Well, it varies and depends on who is looking. The hanging cages contain skeletons of creatures from home. Whose home? Your home. It’s the same story for everything that has been framed. They’re all images, items, objects—things—from home. Your home. Fortunately, not everything is familiar as unfamiliar items are included in equal parts. How did they all get here? What are they all doing here?

Have you considered the similarities between a museum and a graveyard? Both are places where the living go to marvel at the dead.

EXHIBIT #04 - COMFORT

Likely the first room that you’ll come across after moving from the initial room. This room feels just as grand and just as empty as that room, but at least the walls aren’t covered in things from (your) home. Instead, there will be surfaces to claim, if you wish. Beds, sofas, couches, chaises lounge, bean bags, you name it—if someone could consider it comfortable then it will be present in all shapes, sizes, and variations. The only real catch is that each surface will be displayed individually and cannot be moved. Obviously.

Against one of the walls is a very small plaque that reads:

[ FOR DISPLAY ONLY – DO NOT TOUCH ]

Oops.

EXHIBIT #09 - VIEWING

What’s a museum without some sort of media installation, hm?

For this room, there is only one thing and one thing only—a projector. For much of the time the projector being on (you can’t turn it off. In fact, where is the projector?), it won’t be displaying anything but a white light on the blank wall opposite of it.

However, while the wall is blank, every so often it’s possible to hear faint voices coming from above. Especially during the night before—you know.

EXHIBIT #03 - GARDEN

It’s here that you can finally see the ceiling even if it’s still more of a “sky” than a true ceiling. Those with keen eyes will be able to tell that it’s an artificial sky, and, for those who are less aware, then how it randomly flickers should help with that. Or not. Regardless, the presence of a “sky” isn’t the only surprising thing about this room—it might not even be the first thing that goes noticed. Despite all the expansive and seemingly never-ending hallways that lead to rooms that are void of anything living, this room is alive. Somehow.

A small plaque on the wall will describe this exhibit as an “interactive” medium with gentle suggestions to not be too rough with anything. This exhibition will be a picturesque garden full of all kinds of flowers and plants with a small pond with lily pads and lotus located towards the center of the room. The only physical structure within this room is a very small and simple gazebo containing two chairs and a small table. Perfect for having afternoon tea—if that’s your kind of thing. However, if you were hoping to listen to any bird song, look at what animals have taken residence in the pond, or generally any other kind of life then you’ll be disappointed.

EXHIBIT # — ???

Nothing is on display in this room; all that is there is just empty walls, empty “ceilings”, empty floors…

The only thing that can be found is a small, simple white card free from any kind of writing. A completely blank card. If you try to take it out of the room, it will instantly disappear from wherever it was stored and return to the room.

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Comments

week 3 trial popcorn;

[lollidrops]

[ yay, let's all have a good time!

ramuda has a bowl of candy in front of him, with a pack of cigarettes at his side. which one is he going to indulge in this trial? let's find out! ]

[fefellocaelum]

[Amaya's kind of wallflowering off to the side, but she's here. She seems to have picked out a notebook and seems to be sketching within it to distract herself for now.

...Still, the bodies definitely paint an extreme picture, to say the least. Amaya looks at them when they become apparent, but it sends a shudder down her spine to see them.]

...It seems as if both of them suffered greatly, in death. I truly do hope they find what happened.

[necromants]

[Time is wibbly wobbly here so while Ramuda and Yuki are doing their thing, Zvei is content to focus on Amaya. He'd take her hand, but she's a bit busy sketching, and he peers over to see if he can get a look at what she's working on.]

I hope they do. Last time's was... difficult, but perhaps they'll be more focused this time.

[Not that they were really unfocused, just that they got to work immediately this time. Maybe it'll make the difference. It sort of has to when there are two bodies.]

[fefellocaelum]

...Dare I ask what they focused on last time?

[The sketch actually appears to be their old little house from the painting. Or at least, the backyard; it wasn't really lived in by the time they left, but Yuki and Zvei appear to be out there relaxing at least!

Amaya doesn't look up when Zvei talks, granted, focused on detailing out the piece, but she's listening.]

[necromants]

Mostly they just talked in circles and didn't narrow it down. Though in the beginning, they did need to decide if they were going to investigate at all.

[He can't really help the flippant venom in his voice there; he would have understood the argument had the victim been almost anyone else. But it was Amaya. It was Amaya, and how could they even consider the idea of not trying to figure out who did it? Yes, he understands the argument for not wanting to vote and kill someone, but given that Ramuda wasn't infected and did this of his own free will...

Ugh, no, there's no point in getting riled up about it again. Zvei shakes his head as if to clear it and scooches closer so that he's sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Amaya. A reminder that she's here, and well enough despite what happened.]

...It's a beautiful scene. I did like watching the sun set over the skyline there.

[He's not sure he misses it, really, but... there's something almost wistful about seeing the sketch of it.]

[renjou]

( Yuki may be arriving a little late because he's never sure when these projections are, given the timeless nature of this place. Eventually, he does make his way in, and eventually his gaze sweeps through the projected crowds, his expression looking bit by bit more uneasy, his skin tone by tone paler, as a few names circle the conversation more often than any others. It could be a coincidence. It could be nothing. He fails to find a particular face in the crowd, but Hyunjung is sometimes a bit of a wallflower, he

Yuki's gaze hits the burnt body, and he stops.

He's fixed in place for several long moments, the shock giving way to cold, his empty insides twisting in a way that leaves him sick.

That's, )

... Hyunjung?

( His voice leaves him with a shuddered breath, so heavy where he stands he nearly roots there.

All at once, he breaks free of the earth, stumbling forward until his palms hit the projection with too hard an impact against the wall, each hand on the other side of Hyunjung's body. )

Hyunjung—

( His curved back seems to strain under the weight of his head and his chest, his body trembling, hyperventilating though he has no need to breathe. He's muttering, but it's not clear what - but his face is too close to see anything, to process anything, that's for certain. )

[lollidrops]

[ ramuda has been

crunching down on hard candies in a way that are certainly terrible for his teeth, but whatever he's dead!

he looks at yuki, blinking a few times. right, they were close, weren't they? he stands up, leaving his bowl of candy on the floor. ]

Yuuuuuuuuki. Yuuuuki, you still in there? [ regardless of the answer, ramuda brings him in for a very tight hug.

he needs one and yuki looks like he needs one so fuck it we ball. ]

[renjou]

( He does!! He does enough that it doesn't really matter what else he feels, this emotion fills him and it overflows into tears as he holds Ramuda back, so tightly he might snap Ramuda in two.

It's painful; it makes him so angry. What is he supposed to do with this feeling? Why does this have to happen to anyone - never mind Hyunjung? Why, )

—It isn't fair.

[lollidrops]

It isn't. It totally isn't. [ they're talking about two different things but that's fine-- emotions are emotions and they'll spill out regardless of what anyone wants.

ramuda does squeak a little but he doesn't mind being held so tight—he'd actually gotten used to it recently, which really just makes him feel even more conflicted. ]

[fefellocaelum]

[...Shoot. Amaya's immediately worried when she sees Yuki walk in, but seeing the look on his face and hearing him call out Hyunjung's name is...

Amaya does not know how to help, not really. But her legs move faster than her brain, and she walks over to where Yuki is, shakily attempting to put a hand on his shoulder.]

...Yuki. I'm so sorry.

[What else can she even say? He's clearly devastated.]

[renjou]

( His thoughts circle in an uncorrected loop, a why? with no answer. Amaya's hand on his shoulder doesn't stop it, but it does lead his thoughts astray - and maybe anywhere is better than where his mind is now.

His shoulders hunch up, his head resting against the burnt corpse in the projection. His eyes wet. )

... He didn't deserve this.

( Neither of them did; but, selfishly, he'll be most distraught over his friend. )

[fefellocaelum]

No, he did not. He seemed like a kind man; too kind for something like this to happen to.

[Amaya doesn't mind listening to Yuki's selfishness; she's a pretty selfish person deep down herself, so no judgement there. But she keeps her hand on his shoulder, not daring to come any closer in case it's unwanted.]

...They will find who did this to him; of that, I am certain.

[necromants]

[Last week it was Amaya. This week is two others, but they aren't people Zvei knows. He almost feels relieved, as sickening a thought as that should be. But obviously he isn't the only one here, and it would seem that Hyunjung's death has hit Yuki very hard.

He watches from behind for a moment or two, mismatched eyes following the projection that he can still see despite Yuki being in the way, and only moves forward to rest a hand on Yuki's shoulder after the lull of the living leaving for investigations.]

I'm here for you. [A reminder Yuki likely doesn't need, but one he freely gives anyway.] Just like you were there for me.

[renjou]

( Is this the first time Yuki's wanted to beat someone to death? No, it isn't, actually. He talks like a good boy, but his heart leads his head above anything else, and though he'd tell himself to heel, and though he'd be loathe to ever take a life, can't he want to get as close as he can once he knows who did it?

But contending with his own anger is as painful as it is to face his own grief. )

... I feel like my chest is going to split in two.

( Murmuring wet-eyed between his strained repetitions of Hyunjung's name. He failed him, is the feeling at the heart of it all. He needed to protect Hyunjung, but he couldn't, and so - in some perverse, nonsensical way, he feels responsible for Hyunjung's final moments, immolated and in pain. (Hadn't Zvei been burned up, too? There's a pattern here, but he can't tell if it matters.)

He breathes, the inhales and exhales clipping into one another until it's barely any separate action. At least Nala is safe, he tries to tell himself. But it doesn't cancel out all this. )

... Can you... hold me?

[lollidrops]

[ wow isn't it nice to see and hear everyone again clearly!

wow, a lot of things sure are being said and ramuda can't parse all of the french but it sure is making him reach for bowl of candy with increasing vigor. crunch, crunch, crunch goes the sugar sweets.

and hey what's this? ]

...woooooooooooooooooooow! ☆ [ he doesn't bite down on the lollipop in his mouth, letting it just lay there on his tongue. ]

They're really two dum-dums aren't they! Good thing I know just what to do with those!

[ he's so glad he found something after his paint Experience. this is NOT what it was meant for but OH WELL! ]

[slacksnark]

[Beryl wanders in late as hell.]

Oh, did I make it just in time?

[fefellocaelum]

[ah, there he is.]

...It would seem so, for at least one of them.

[They've got Seymour almost certainly dead to rights at this point.]

[slacksnark]

[Peers.]

Ah, makes sense. That guy seemed like he was about to snap all the way back last week!

[renjou]

( Yuki is fixed on the trial right now, sorry. His eyes are red and wet, like he's been crying for awhile, and he looks a mess - but, most importantly, he's alert as he can be and sat up enough, watching Seymour speak.

He looks like he may as well leap at the screen if he could. )

[slacksnark]

[Beryl won't say anything that might risk Yuki not flipping out but he has eyes.]

[renjou]

( Well. Nala sure is the focus, isn't she.

Yuki rises to his feet, exhausted by his grief and tears, winded by his self-loathing and elation over Nala's revenge, and now ...........

He watches the proceedings very carefully. Fortunately... the tides so far are not in favor of punishing her. (Well, "fortunately" for Yuki - sorry, Zvei and Amaya.)

... )

... We shall see if they do not truly blame her tomorrow, won't we.

( There is a faint edge to his voice, like a dog growling at an intruder in the house. )

[lollidrops]

Naaah. Why would they?

The only way she dies is if the hands get her.

[renjou]

( yuki with a look on his face that says "yeah they better not" )

It depends if you believe the hands take those based on who individuals blame. If they do not take her, then they truly do not blame her.

( but also that theory may not hold water at all so who even knows maybe the hands will take [spins wheel] childermass )

[necromants]

[Zvei is still here. He had a Reaction during the Seymour thing with Amaya, but the tentacles are away and though his expression is rather blank, he's keeping his thoughts in his head, where they damn well belong.

Right now his focus is on Yuki. Only Yuki, because his thoughts on Nala and her actions don't matter, so he keeps his eyes on the other man and not the discussion. He tries not to listen. He tries not to hone in on every mention of keeping Seymour alive for the sole purpose of letting the hands kill him and the idea that it's a bad thing if they kill Nala tomorrow—]

I'll be here with you tomorrow as well.

[A promise he doesn't want to keep, but one he'll force himself to. For Yuki's sake. He's not sure he can promise much more beyond that - he doesn't know what the hell any of them will do if Nala does end up here - but this much... this much he can do.]

[renjou]

( ...

Seymour may have done something truly unforgivable in Yuki's eyes, and violence may still course through him as if it were blood beat by his heart, but

he is not unable to empathize. Not when he cares for Zvei so much - not when he cares for Amaya, and he'd seen her need to leave.

... )

... Do you want to leave me?

( Did Yuki have to phrase it like that? It's fine. Nails, nails, nails... it's fine. Zvei can pull them out.

(It's not fine. But Yuki can let him, if that's what he needs.) )